Chris Chelios, persevering for perseverance's sake

The Windsor Star's Dave Waddell astutely points out that Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios probably won't win the Masterton Trophy due to the unique challenges his fellow nominees faced over the past season, but Chelios does appreciate the nomination:

April 30, Windsor Star: "Obviously, that's the biggest reason why I've been around this long is it's perseverance or being crazy I don't know what you call it," Chelios said. "When a team has success, individuals tend to prosper. It's a great honour to be chosen one of three finalists."

The 47-year-old Chelios is in his 25th NHL season and has won the Norris Trophy three times. The 11-time all-star holds the NHL record with 260 playoff appearances and is the only player to win 400 games with three different teams.

The skillful [Steve] Sullivan has overcome his small size and a wonky back to carve out a solid NHL career. The veteran centre returned to the Nashville line-up Jan. 10 after missing two years and undergoing two back surgeries. He ended up with 11 goals and 32 points in 41 games.

[Richard] Zednik is fortunate to just be alive let alone contributing to the Panthers.

The winger suffered a horrific cut throat just over a year ago when a teammate's skate blade nearly sliced an artery in his neck completely in half. Zednik lost five pints of blood and required emergency surgery to survive the incident. Zednik returned to action this season and played in 70 games scoring 17 goals and 33 points.